Dr. Precious Nene Ikem
September 4, 2026 2026-09-04 7:54Dr. Precious Nene Ikem
Dr Precious Nene Ikem is a transportation infrastructure leader, researcher and educator whose work sits at the intersection of transportation planning, infrastructure governance, capital investment and public transportation delivery. Over nearly two decades, she has combined academic research with professional practice across transportation agencies, consulting and infrastructure advisory, bringing together research, policy and practice to address complex transportation challenges.
Dr Ikem currently leads delivery of the $4B+ Green Line Transformation Program for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), one of the largest transit modernization initiatives in the United States. In this role, she works with executive leadership on programme strategy, governance, funding coordination, performance improvement and risk management across a complex operating environment. Prior to her current role, Dr Ikem advised governments, public agencies, multilateral development banks and infrastructure investors on the planning, appraisal, funding and delivery of major transportation programmes across the UK, Europe and the United States. Her experience spans rail, transit, highways, aviation, traffic management, decarbonization, economic appraisal, transport modelling, infrastructure transactions and business case development.
Dr Ikem holds a PhD in Transportation Planning and Operations from Imperial College London. Her early research experience included work at Imperial College London and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), contributing to studies of transportation systems, freight movement and maritime transport. Her recent work has examined the role of delivery applications in shaping traffic conditions and the ways in which capital budgeting practices influence transit equity outcomes.
Alongside her professional practice, Dr Ikem is an Honorary Lecturer at Imperial College London, where she contributes to teaching, curriculum development, applied research and university-industry collaboration in transport planning and infrastructure delivery. She also holds an MSc in Sustainable Urban Development from the University of Oxford, an MSc in Structural Engineering from Imperial College London and a BEng in Civil Engineering from the University of Nottingham. She is a Chartered Engineer with the UK Engineering Council, a member of the Project Management Institute, and a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
Her work is motivated by a commitment to building transportation systems that better serve the people who depend on them, while advancing the effective planning, investment and delivery of transportation infrastructure.